L.A. TAKES GOOD FROM BAD LAKERS FINALLY BEAT A LOUSY TEAM; KOBE HAS 32 LAKERS 127, ATLANTA 93.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

ATLANTA - The Lakers didn't answer any pesky riddles Tuesday night, nor with one lopsided win could they shove aside the persistent concerns about their interest in the regular season, or the health of their center, or their karma, or whatever the theory du jour is about their unsightly January run.

Beating up on the undermanned, utterly hapless Atlanta Hawks proves nothing except Kobe Bryant can score at will on 6-foot-2 guards - no revelation there - and that the Lakers can, on occasion, beat a lousy team if they're in the right mood.

And on that last count, Tuesday night's 127-93 rout at Philips Arena counted for something.

Bryant's 20-point first quarter catapulted the Lakers to a solid win and for the moment gave the impression the team is OK.

``I think we were aware of who we were playing tonight, and played them the way we should have played the other five or six teams we've lost to,'' said Rick Fox, referring to the Lakers' five losses to last-place teams. ``Beating us when you're struggling will always lift a team's spirit. But unfortunately, we get a lot of flack for that, so we can't continue the spirit of giving as we have against teams that need wins.''

It never was a question this time. Bryant, who finished with 32 points in 27 minutes, thoroughly overpowered smallish Jason Terry and Jacque Vaughn, staking the Lakers to an early lead they would never relinquish.

By the final buzzer, the Lakers had set season highs for points in a game, points in a first half (68) and scoring through three quarters (102 points). It was their first 100-point effort in seven games and Bryant's best performance since his 56-point outburst against Memphis.

He might have challenged that figure if given the chance.

``I had to sit him down to stop him, really,'' coach Phil Jackson said. ``He was going like crazy and we took advantage of their small guard corps, set a tone for the game.''

Bryant hit 10 of 12 field goals in the first quarter, scoring the same amount he did all day against Philadelphia two days earlier. Alternately posting up Terry and Vaughn, Bryant scored at will in a scene reminiscent of Monday afternoon's practice - when he spent 15 minutes scoring at will on all the Lakers' big men in a one-on-one post-up contest, laughing all the way.

``I told (Samaki Walker), I'll kill him every day before a game, I'll just go out in practice and just kill him and hopefully I'll come out and be on fire (for the game),'' Bryant said. ``He can get the credit for this one, definitely. Him, (Robert) Horry, Mad Dog (Mark Madsen), the whole front line.''

The Lakers' lead after the first quarter was 32-20, Bryant singlehandedly matching the Hawks' output. The lead grew to as much as 40 before the Lakers slowed down for the fourth quarter. Atlanta was led by Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who scored 21 points.

Shaquille O'Neal was quietly effective, scoring 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting in just 26 minutes, and so there was one more positive for the Lakers, who might need to lean harder on O'Neal tonight in Orlando.

O'Neal's right big toe continues to be a problem, and he's also experienced some soreness in his left knee this week. O'Neal rarely has appeared to play at full strength since returning from his suspension, which Jackson said is at least part of the reason the Lakers have lost three of their past five games.

``Some of it is adjustment to having him back at the level he's playing at,'' Jackson said. ``Some of it's not playing well, just as a group. So it doesn't all fall on his shoulders, but there's some things I'd like to see us do that we're not able to do right now with Shaq in that lineup. We're not able to run, we're not able to chase balls down as quickly.''

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Photo:

(color) The Lakers' Mark Madsen (35) strips the ball from the Hawks' Dion Glover during the second half of Tuesday's victory in Atlanta.

Erik S. Lesser/Associated Press

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GAME RECAP